GABORONE, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Botswana, Namibia and South Africa need to deepen regional collaboration in the fight against rhino poaching, Nina Fascione, the executive director of the International Rhino Foundation, said Wednesday.
Fascione made the appeal in reaction to the recent shooting of four rhinos with two of them dead as a result of the attack by unknown attackers at Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Botswana.
Thato Raphaka, the permanent secretary in Botswana's Ministry of Environment and Tourism, said the incident is concerning since it is coming after Botswana de-horned and moved most of the rhinos further inland to discourage poachers.
The two carcasses were found with their horns intact while the other animals were recovering from gunshot wounds, making it difficult to determine the motive behind the shooting, Raphaka said.
"The shooting is an act of global criminal syndicates behind poaching," said Fascione in a statement in response to a Xinhua questionnaire.
Therefore there is a need to intensify regional collaboration and coordinated global response in the fight against rhino poaching, said Fascione.
Figures released last month suggest that more than 200 Botswana's rhinos have died since 2018 because of poaching or natural causes, while 87 rhinos were poached for their horns in Namibia in 2022. ■